Russian- Americans

The Russian- Americans

Map of RussiaRussiaalso officially known as theRussian Federation, a country in northernEurasia.It is a federalsemi-presidentialrepublic. From northwest to southeast, Russiashares land borderswith Norway,Finland,Estonia,Latvia,Lithuania, Poland,Belarus, Ukraine,Georgia,Azerbaijan,Kazakhstan,China,Mongolia, andNorth Korea. It sharesmaritime borderswith Japan by theSea of Okhotskand theUSstate ofAlaskaacross theBering Strait. At 17,075,400 square kilometres (6,592,800sqmi), Russia is thelargest country in the world, covering more than one-eighth of the Earth's inhabited land area. Russia is also the world's ninth most populous nationwith 143million people as of 2012.Extending across the entirety of northern Asiaand much of Eastern Europe, Russia spansnine time zonesand incorporates a wide range ofenvironmentsand landforms.

Capital:MoscowPresident:Vladimir PutinCurrency:Russian rublePrime minister:Dmitry MedvedevPopulation:143.5 million (2013)World Bank

Climate of RussiaTheclimate of Russiais formed under the influence of several determining factors. The enormous size of the country and the remoteness of many areas from the sea result in the dominance of the continental climate, which is prevalent in European and Asian Russia except for the tundra and the extreme southeast. Mountains in the south obstructing the flow of warm air masses from theIndian Oceanand the plain of the west and north makes the country open to Arctic and Atlantic influences.

Of all thelanguages ofRussia,Russianis the only official language. There are 35 different languages which are consideredofficial languagesin various regions of Russia, along with Russian. There are over 100 minority languages spoken in Russia today.

Language

Translated as Gosudarstvenny Gimn Rossiyskoy FederatsiiIts musical composition and lyrics were adopted from theNational Anthem of the Soviet Union, composed byAlexander Alexandrov, and lyricistsSergey MikhalkovandGabriel El-Registan. The Soviet anthem was used from 1944

Anthem

Chamomileorcamomileis thecommon namefor several daisy-like plants of the familyAsteraceaethat are commonly used to make herb infusion to serve various medicinal purposes. Popular uses of chamomile preparations include treating hay fever, inflammation, muscle spasm, menstrual disorders, insomnia, ulcers, gastrointestinal disorder, and hemorrhoidsFlower

In Russia associations with the image of thebearreceived relatively mixed reactions. On one hand, Russians themselves appreciate thebearfor its raw power and cunning, and bears are very often used as mascots or as a part of a design on a logo.

Animal

HOCKEYRussia'sice hockey team has a long history of tradition and success, and today about 30Russiansplay in the NHL. During the Soviet era, hockey was one of the dominant sports, and members of thenationalteam were given the finest apartments and cars.

Sports

Traditional Russian folk dance is as broad and diverse as the nation itself.

DanceKhorovodBarynyaKamarinskayaChechotkaKarelian DanceKomi DanceIngush DanceChechen DanceTatar DanceBashkir DanceChuvash DanceKalmyk Dance

Russians consider themselves a well-educated nation. (They read a lot, and will be very surprised if you tell them you have not read Pushkin or Tolstoy! )Books in Russia are cheap, and most people can afford to buy 5-10 books a month without serious damage to the family budget.

Lifestyle

Russians are also very fond of live performances at the theatre, and since tickets are affordable (the prices in cinemas and theatres are comparable), a stunning range of options is available to everyone, including opera, symphony concerts, musicals, ballet, drama, etc.Every city has at least one theatre.Cinemas are becoming more and more popular in Russia and today they are equipped with the latest sound systems.

During Soviet times, there was a well-developed system of community work, and in every group (class at school, department at work, etc.) there was a person responsible for sports, education, political information, etc. People that performed these tasks were given benefits (free or discounted travel, ability to buy rare goods, a better apartment, etc).The system of volunteering was largely broken with Perestroika, but Russians still have an unwavering community spirit (which sometimes goes to lengths a westerner would consider as infringement).

Russian culture is non-individualistic. The power of an individual in Russia is much less than in the west and most deals are pushed through family, friends and acquaintances. A famous Russian saying is, "One is not a soldier in the battlefield." In Russia, it is necessary to know people in power to make things work. This is why Russians maintain more friendships than an average westerner.

The majority of Russians consider themselves Christians, and belong to the Russian Orthodox Church. This is a great achievement for a country where atheism was the official state religion for more than 70 years. Religon

Religion, however, is not a real part of their life. Russians pay more attention to horoscopes than to the Bible. People usually attend church just to "light a candle" and quickly pray. They do it to ask for something to happen or to remember a close person who is dead. People do not have to be a member of the church to do it and they do not make monthly contributions to the church. The church survives by selling candles and reminder notes and charging for services such as baptisms, weddings and funerals.

A church marriage is not official in Russia. A couple has to register their marriage with government authorities before they are allowed to have a church ceremony performed.

Marriage

Since both education and cultural facilities used to be widely available, Russians can be considered a highly cultured nation. Their general knowledge is very good: they know a little bit about virtually everything. Primary and secondary school is mandatory for 11 years, and includes a programme of History, Literature, Music and Geography. A foreign language, usually English, is studied for 6 years, although French, German and Spanish are also available.The history courses taught include Russian, European and American History.EducationHaving a university or college degree is common. Russia has the highest education level in the world (more than 40% of the total population have college or university degree).Intellectually, Russians are interesting people to talk to and enjoy deep subjects.

The majority of Russians don't have what you call in the west "good manners." Russia is a tough country and Russians usually do not hesitate to say what they think in a way that doesn't leave room for any misunderstandings. During the Soviet period, having "good manners" was considered a bourgeois survival tactic. Russians are very straightforward. When they meet or phone each other, they seldom spend time on questions like "How are you?" but go straight to the point.

They are not rude, it's just their way of doing things.Manners

The majority of Russian people do not really understand the huge difference between life in Russia and in the West. Russians do not consider their life miserable. They feel that things are changing for the better and "everything's starting to work out" for their country.Russians like to emphasize their different attitude towards material values and consider themselves as sincere, cordial, understanding, and unselfish. They like to talk about the "specifics of Russian soul" or the "mysterious Russian soul," and repeat the famous phrase of a Russian poet, "You can't understand Russia with your mind."

Russians love their country. They may criticise it severely, but if you try to do the same they will defend it furiously. They are citizens of the largest county in the world, which has a rich history and deep cultural roots, and they are proud of it.

A matryoshka doll, also known as Russian nesting doll or babushka doll

Fast Fact: In the United States, the size of the Russian-speaking population is estimated at 5.5 million. Almost one-fourth of the Russian-American population is concentrated in New York State.Russian- American Culture

There is much controversy over the use of the term Russian.To some, it is an ethnic distinction reserved specifically for those originating from Russia; to others, it is a nationality encompassing citizens from some or all former Soviet states and satellite republics; and to still others, Russian is not defined by nationality at all, but instead by languagethose who speak Russian as their first and primary language, whatever their origin or citizenship may be.Demography

During the Soviet era, citizens found it very difficult to leave their home countries. The Russians coming to the United States were often well-educated men and women with degrees in science, engineering, and medicine who sought better employment prospects. These Russians settled in areas of the US that are particularly rich in employment opportunities, with the New York City metropolitan area representing one of the largest destinations. Almost one-fourth of the overall Russian American population in the US today is concentrated in New York State (Ameredia, 2008).MigrationCross-cultural survey data indicates high levels of collectivism in Russian culture.Russian collectivism developed over many centuries due to severe climate and geophysical challenges, hostile incursions from Mongols, Tatars, and other groups.One of the most important Russian-American cultural values is the familys role in treatment, care, and diagnosis of illness. When a clinician diagnoses a Russian-American, it is imperative that the clinician tell the diagnosis to the family members, only.It is expected that the family members shield the patient from the worries and horrors of the diagnosis. As explained by Shpilko (2006), it is the familys obligation to take on the burden of the truth. Such a belief demonstrates the intensely familial nature of the Russian community and evidences the importance of their internal support networks (Shpilko, 2006).FamilyDomestic violence against women in Russia is four to five times higher than in Western countries (Horne, 1999). It is identified fewer signs of openness and closeness between family members and spouses than between friends (especially among men). Clinical case study material suggests limited personal disclosures among spouses due to a fear of appearing weak (Hundley & Lambie, 2007).Women

Elderly Russians have been identified as the most vulnerable subgroup for mental illness (Polyakova, 2006). Russians who fled the Soviet Union to live in the U.S. experience the twin challenges of aging and acculturation: Older members often left their homeland for the sake of their children and subsequently face issues of acculturation and aging at the same time . Stress typically manifests in the elderly Russian-American community as depression, anxiety, demoralization, and somatization (Polyakova, 2006). The crisis of mental health among elder Russian immigrants is intensified by the ingrained cultural expectation that emotional troubles be resolved alone.ElderlyIn Russia, youth have high prevalence rates of serious and persistent mental health problems: The Russian media are full of graphic accounts of children under stress, often accompanied by claims that between 40% and 80% of Russian children have mental health problems.Russian parents promote interdependent relationships in their children and foster mutual obligations (Chentsove-Dutton, 2012).Parents expect their children to be submissive to authority, often providing unsolicited support, while simultaneously encouraging self-sufficiency and autonomy : this double message can be confusing for children (Leipzig, 2006).YouthIn order to accurately assess the specific health risks of the current Russian-American population, it is essential to trace back to the origins of the Soviet health care system and examine the health care transition that took place.Current health risks, both for homeland Russians and those who have relocated to America, include cardiovascular diseases, infectious diseases, cancer, and malnutrition, with specific mental health concerns including high stress levels, tendency toward depression, and substance addiction problems, particularly alcoholism (Shpilko, 2006).Specific Health Risks

Researchers have identified a cultural disconnect between Russian immigrant elders and their assimilated children, who tend to identify more with the modern American culture and lifestyle than with their Russian heritage and traditions.According to some researchers, children expect more autonomy and independence in accordance with Western values, which can create conflict with more traditional parental values for authority, interdependence, and control (Machovskaya, 2010). Acculturation

Children often also act as cultural brokers for their less acculturated parents by completing tasks for their parents, such as answering the telephone, explaining the education system, and translating doctors visits (Curtis & Trickett, 2009). Doing so is associated with increased stress for the children, including problems at home, at school, and with friends (Curtis & Trickett, 2009).